"Am I a Burden to My Therapist?" — Reflections from the Other Chair

"Am I a Burden to My Therapist?”

“Isn’t it overwhelming to listen to people’s problems all day?”
“Do you carry their pain home with you?”
“Am I being a burden?”

As a therapist, I often hear a familiar question—sometimes from strangers, sometimes whispered by clients who hesitate before they ask:

“Isn’t it overwhelming to listen to people’s problems all day?”
“Do you carry their pain home with you?”
“Am I being a burden?”

These questions come from a tender place, often from people who are so used to holding things in that the act of sharing feels unsafe—or worse, selfish. I understand where that fear comes from. But I’d like to offer a different perspective.

What I do is not just listening to people’s problems. It’s a mutual, intentional process—a conversation with purpose. It’s a shared journey toward healing, clarity, and transformation.

And for me, it is an honor.

I witness people reconnect with their strengths, discover parts of themselves they didn’t know they had, and step into their truth with courage. I am lucky to spend most of my working hours in deep, intimate connection—the kind of connection that is rare in our fast-paced, surface-level world.

Of course, this work is not always easy. It requires full presence in someone else’s world, while also staying grounded in my own thoughts, feelings, training, and ethical compass. Behind every session lies years of education, supervision, healing, and growth—personally and professionally.

I carry within me my own history of trauma, loss, loneliness, shame, and resilience. I’ve sat in the client’s chair. I’ve gone through the painful, life-changing process of therapy myself. And now, I have the privilege of paying that experience forward.

So, do I carry your stories home with me?
Sometimes, yes.

You visit me in small, meaningful moments—while I prepare for a session, while I walk through nature, or even while I cook dinner. Insights come to me. A question arises. A memory from your session returns.

But not as a burden.
Never as a burden.

Your story is held with care, not as weight, but as something sacred.

And I can take care of myself. I make sure I do. I move my body. I stretch, swim, and go to physical therapy. I rest. I spend time in nature. I seek silence so I can hear myself again. I laugh with my child, talk with my spouse, and nourish the relationships that fill me up. I continue to learn. I remain curious. I lean into my own supervision and community of therapists so I never feel alone in this work.

Therapy is my passion. It’s where I feel most real, most free, most empowered. I feel privileged to sit across from someone who dares to be honest, messy, vulnerable, and human.

So, if you ever find yourself wondering, “Am I too much?”
Please hear this:

You are not a burden.
You are a human being longing for connection, and that is not only valid—it’s beautiful.

You are inviting me into a sacred part of your inner world. Together, we visit the forgotten corners of your soul—the parts covered in dust and silence. We gently uncover them, piece them together, and begin to see them not as flaws, but as part of a deeper story. A story that shaped you. A story that still holds meaning.

And perhaps, long ago, someone made you feel like your needs were too big or inconvenient. Maybe someone was too overwhelmed themselves to offer the care you needed, and it left you with the impression that you were the problem.

But it’s not true.

You deserve support.
You deserve space in someone else’s heart.
And in our work together, you will find a space in mine. One that is open, ready, and held just for you.